News of: Wednesday, 5th of August, 2009

Front Page

In a major development towards implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, the CHT Land Commission yesterday decided to ask the government to complete land survey in the three hill districts by October this year.

India would not launch any projects that would harm Bangladesh, said Abdur Razzaq, head of the parliamentary delegation that returned yesterday after a visit to the neighbouring country to assess impacts of Tipaimukh dam.

Two projects aiming to improve communications between Dhaka and Chittagong, the most vital road link for the country's economic growth, get entangled in loopholes in floating tenders and lack of coordination among the authorities concerned.

Former British high commissioner to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury yesterday denied any role in the events of 1/11, but said his government supported the clear commitment of the caretaker government to hold a free, fair and safe election. He resented the allegation that he was one of the architects of the 1/11 changeover.

A UN Commission investigating the assassination of former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto will question former president Pervez Musharraf next month contrary to the mixed signals coming from the ruling PPP-led government.

The Saudi offices of a Lebanon-based satellite station controlled by tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal could face closure over a racy talk show featuring a man boasting about his sex life, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Editorial

The Chittagong hill tracts with their natural endowment of resources make up a region that is capable of firing the imagination of any development planner with a vision. Apart from its contoured topography, home to a rich bio-diversity of flora and fauna, being an environmental asset and tourist attraction in its own right, the potentialities for economic development the hill districts have are also immense. But unfortunately, all of this enormous possibility of the region, has hardly ever crossed the academic threshold, the rhetoric wish-list, as it were.

The idea of introducing disaster-related issues in school curricula surely promises to bring a new dimension to education in the country. For a developing nation such as ours, the ubiquity of problems it faces calls for new and sometimes radical approaches toward a resolution. That necessarily brings the question of the school syllabi into focus. We are of the opinion that the national convention on Monday on disaster risk reduction through schools is a step in the right direction and one that should lead to other and meaningful steps where imbuing the young with new ideas is concerned.

THE Bangladesh Nationalist Party is pretty unhappy about the Tipaimukh affair. That is quite understandable. But what surely gets to be upsetting, even a trifle irritating, is its characterisation of the planned trip to the site of the proposed dam by a group of parliamentarians as a picnic.

PRESIDENTIAL election was held across the Indonesian archipelago on July 9. The Election Commission announced the result on July 25, declaring current President Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a soft-spoken former general of the Democratic Party, for another five years.

LOAN default has, of late, assumed an alarming proportion -- alarming because it has touched the roots of the national economy, in as much as the finances of the aggrieved banks and financial institutions (FIs) are in disarray, and have crushed them. The result is that a huge amount of liquid fund has been stuck for a long time, which has had a three-pronged adverse affect:

Sports

The national team management committee has seemingly changed their stance on the eight 'rebel' footballers after having met with Brazilian coach Edson Silva Dido, who is determined to stick to his policy of training the players separately.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan has rejected claims that 'groupism' within the team has led to below-par performance during the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. Instead, the poor structure back home is to blame, Younus said. "The problem with Pakistan cricket is that our domestic structure is flawed," he said.

Apparel manufacturers and exporters yesterday urged the government to form a parliamentary caucus on readymade garment (RMG), which will negotiate with the government for fixing up different problems prevailing in the garment sector.

A House panel yesterday made a set of recommendations incorporating a cut in lending rate and cash reserve ratio (CRR) to keep up the pace of domestic demand and bring a momentum in business activities amid the ongoing global recession.

In previous columns we have written about the untapped potential of our diaspora, the technical term for non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs). As a former long-term NRB, it is certainly a subject we feel strongly about.

In a bid to implement the government's mega plan for giving a fillip to the problematic power sector, the power and energy ministry has taken an initiative to complete the tender invitation process within next three months for setting up numerous power plants.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized 13 tonnes of gingers, 150 jerrycans of chemicals and a covered van, which were snatched on August 2 from Chandina in Comilla, and arrested six people in this connection in Gazipur yesterday.

To materialise the dream of a digital Bangladesh, it is essential to develop English language skills which can help keep pace with globalisation and information technology, speakers at an orientation meeting of 'English in Schools (EIS)' project said yesterday.

Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad yesterday said the government has taken an initiative to formulate a pro-people national broadcasting policy as soon as possible to ensure free flow of information.

BNP Chairperson and leader of the opposition in parliament Khaleda Zia yesterday called on the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders to forge a movement against injustice and wrongdoings of the government.

Inter-ministerial coordination must be strengthened to incorporate victims of violence against women into mainstream development and to prevent such incidents, said the speakers at a seminar yesterday.

Cargo handling at Mongla port was yesterday disrupted as over 2,000 dock workers laid siege to the office of Mongla Port Authority (MPA) for four hours from 11:30am to press home their four-point demand.

Doctors and medical staff observed a daylong strike at Jessore General Hospital, upazila health complexes under the district and clinics in the city protesting killing of Dr Shafiqul Islam, joint secretary of Jessore unit of Swadhinata Chikitsok Parishad.

An alleged cadre of an outlawed party was chopped to death at village Mongolgram of Faridpur upazila in the early hours of yesterday. Shahidul Islam alias Shahadat,35, son of Sayed Ali of village Lakhmipur in Santhia upazila is a hardened criminal and regional leader of Janajudhha faction of the outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), police said. Police said rivals chopped him to death at a field. Being informed, they rushed to the spot and recovered the body from the spot at noon yesterday. Police later sent the body to Pabna General Hospital morgue for autopsy. A case was filed with Faridpur police station in connection with the murder.

Asma Begum,25, wife of Kiran Mia of village Challisa under Sadar upazila allegedly committed suicide Monday midnight. Netrakona Sadar police went to the spot yesterday morning and found her body hanging from the ceiling of the house. Police and locals said, Kiran beat up Asma last night for dowry. A case was filed with Netrakona Police Station in this connection. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Netrakona Police Station said Kiran used to torture Asma for dowry. He apprehended that Kiran might have killed Asma and hanged her body from the ceiling.

Satkhira BDR Monday night rescued a teenaged girl from Boikari border area in Sadar upazila while she was being trafficked to a neighbouring state. Police also arrested a woman in this connection. Shapna Akhtar Bonya, 18, daughter of Shaheb Ali Gazi of village Gojalia in Chitolmari upazila in Bagerhat district was taken to the border area on Sunday on promise of a lucrative job across the border, police said. BDR arrested alleged trafficker Salma Akhtar Juthi, 24, daughter of Wahab Ali Sheikh of village Dhulihar in Sadar upazila of Satkhira but two of her accomplices however managed to escape.

A son allegedly killed his mother at Satlol Mohollah of Chapainawabganj municipality area yesterday morning. Victim Rahima Begum alias Gajoli, 75, was wife of late Tamijuddin. Police said, at a stage of a family feud, day labourer Jaijuddin,50, hit his mother with a sharp weapon at around 5:30 am. Receiving information, police recovered the body from his house and sent it to Chapainawabganj Adhunik Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy and arrested Jaijuddin on charge of murder.

Decomposed body of a young man was recovered from the Isamoti River near Baghadanga frontier under Moheshpur upazila on Monday. The victim could not be identified till filing of this report yesterday evening. Police said, locals saw a body floating in the Isamoti. They informed the matter to police. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Moheshpur police station said, criminals might have abducted him from anywhere and threw the body into the river after killing. He added that the body was sent to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Parbatipur police on Sunday exhumed the body of a boy allegedly murdered last month. A Dinajpur court directed police to exhume his body for fresh autopsy after a case was lodged on July 13 accusing eight people including Shadhin, Mukur Sarder, Sajib and Arman. Reazul Islam, father of the slain boy filed the case with Dinajpur magistrate's court. Family sources said, some villagers on June 24 lured Milon to Dhaka for giving job. Four days later Narsingdi police rescued critically stabbed Milon from a rail gate and admitted him to a hospital. The boy later died at Rangpur Medical College and Hospital on July 1.

Letters

No doubt, we are a peaceful nation, and even the people across the globe recognize us likewise until they find the report in which thousands of ethnic people are stated to have been attacked by a group of musclemen. When I looked at the report, and thereby knew that some local musclemen led by one Nur Hossain Master demolished a community in which indigenous people live in, the whole thing stopped me for a while, as I was thinking about the national identity. At the same time, it was haunting me, I wanted to know the multiple answers: why did thousands of people lose their accommodation rights? Why were they oppressed severely by the land grabbers? Why did the attackers damage and torch their homes? Where is the provision to stop the heinous crime?

The prices of commodities increase higher and higher day by day. If the price of a particular commodity increases by a certain percentage, then it never gets back to its previous position, regardless of what is happening in the market. The price of a particular product will be estimated at the equilibrium level where the supply and demand intersects. But the prices in our country fly much higher than the equilibrium level. Greater demand and lower supply is one of the major reasons of price increase. There are also some natural and man-made causes which play their due role in price increase. Natural causes like floods and droughts are unpredictable and we need to be prepared for that. Apart from natural causes, man made causes increase the prices and a particular group of people take advantage of increasing price level. It is quite common that the prices of essentials increase in the holy month of Ramadan. Certain commodities are used mostly in Ramadan for preparing Iftar, but what's the reason behind increasing the prices of other commodities? The government has asked TCB to import several essentials which are consumed mostly in Ramadan to ensure smooth supply.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has stressed the role of ICT in creating a corruption free country while speaking at a seminar in Sylhet on Digital Bangladesh. He raised different issues and sectors that can benefit through creation of a digital country. Though it is a bit late, the initiative taken by the minister is appreciable. It will be wise for all members of parliament (MPs) to follow him and arrange similar seminars and workshops in their respective constituencies or regions. The seminars and workshops should be held in local institutions like schools (general, vocational and madrasah), colleges, institutes and universities. Not only the students and teachers will attend but the local people must be invited and encouraged to attend the events. The most important thing is to raise awareness among common people about the benefits of ICT which is the main tool for a digital country. Once they make up their minds to take such initiatives, experts from the respective regions will come out to cooperate and to lead the programme further. They can be termed as the hidden human resources for the region. Their expertise can be utilized for the welfare of the localities.

The results have been digitalised. The HSC results were published on July 25. The prime minister inaugurated the process of publishing the results by clicking the laptop. It is the first year when only for the results a website (www.educationboardresults.gov.bd) has been introduced. The results were not digital but the result publishing process has been digitalized.

The news of cutting down four hundred trees around Zia International Airport has made me indignant and very upset. This is an unforgivable crime, which has been committed by miscreants with the help of some CAAB employees devoid of morality.

A few days, DS printed a revealing article about the spoiled children of some our privileged class, careening about town especially after dusk, showing-off their new 'toy' with friends of both sexes and terrorizing unwary pedestrians with all sorts of gadgets fixed on their luxury cars, mostly the 'howler' horns that sounds like banshees from hell.

Constructive criticism is very important both at individual and national levels. It is said that my critic is my best friend. It is very natural that people make mistakes knowingly or unknowingly while performing their duties and critics help them to be on the track by pointing out the wrongs. Unfortunately, we as a nation have very little power of tolerance and that's why we react very sharply to the slightest criticism we get from our opponents. The political parties show very little endurance which is of great importance in maintaining peace and harmony in society.

This is nothing but public perception of political events unfolding in Bangladesh. The BNP has made a political mistake by not attending parliament on a flimsy ground of 'front row seats' They have now committed the most irreparable political blunder by refusing to participate in the parliamentary team that went to Tipaimukh on a fact finding mission. The non-cooperation by the opposition parties is only strengthening the hands of the Indian government to deal with the issue of Tipaimukh in their own way.

It is difficult to believe that the Public Service Commission building has no space for accommodating three new members thereby making the commission totally inactive to discharge its obligations. This situation will aggravate the government's plans to bring dynamism in the administration for overall development of the country.

Dear Tigers, congrats.....Please always keep in mind that you are the best and you can beat any team in this world no matter who are they. Because to get a batsman out it needs only a good delivery, but to make a hundred it needs minimum 17 balls if the batsman hit all the boundaries.

Gas hydrates look like ordinary ice crystal, and burn like many conventional fossil fuels. They are crystalline compounds formed from water cages stabilized by guest molecules such as methane, ethane etc. usually at low temperature and high pressure. One unit volume of gas hydrate provides as much as 160 volume of gas at standard temperature and pressure. Gas hydrates therefore have been considered as one of the potential energy resources. Since the 3rd decade of the last century gas hydrates have been paid special attention due to their potential to block the oil and gas flow lines. Beside the energy concern, gas hydrates show various beneficial applications such as water desalination, gas storage and transportation of methane. The see floor and permafrost regions set optimum temperature-pressure conditions for the natural occurrences of gas hydrates. Recent reviews on the concerned subject show that more than 90 sites on the globe have been directly (experimental evidence) or indirectly (Geophysical data analysis) identified to contain natural gas hydrates. Current estimates show hydrates could contain from 10(to power 15) to 10(to power 17) m3 of methane at standard temperature and pressure.

Recently, Samina Chowdhury lunched her Rabindra Sangeet album “Tomar Khola Hawa”. Samina has already won thousands of hearts through the magic of her voice. As a blind fan of Samina, I hope that this album would give a new dimension to her popularity. Popular musician Bappa Majumdar also deserves credit for arranging theme-based music for her album.

28th July was a rainy day and I got the worst experience while I was waiting for a bus in the morning at Kakrail bus stand. My office is at 8:00am. I live in Circuit House Road. Because of heavy rain the previous night the road was under water. Water was up to the knee level. I had to go to the bus stand on foot through water, folding trousers up to the knees. I found people waiting for the bus standing in the water. Some vehicles were plying and watering the standing people. I was also drenched. Two buses (shuprovat) were stuck in the water. Luckily, I found a bus (shuprovat) and got into it. My dress was wet. Others were also suffering like me.

Due to heavy downpour almost the whole of the city of Dhaka was inundated on July 28, 2009. Life came to a standstill. Millions of city dwellers were in deep trouble. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, like all her former CEOs of Bangladesh, lost her patience and summoned all the ministers and bosses of the concerned departments and organisations to her office to give them a bit of her mind. It all came in the media next day. We, the ordinary citizens of Dhaka, felt satisfied that the matter has been noted by the prime minister. Like every time in the past, this time too, our hopes will run high. But shall we be disappointed again like it happened umpteen times in the past ? Shall the govt take stern actions this time against those land grabbers, corrupt bureaucrats and insincere politicians who make a natural disaster more disastrous by human machinations? Or, shall we have to wait for the next year when the prime minister will again show her anger and displeasure to her ministers and officers on the same issue?

North Korea welcomed former president Bill Clinton to Pyongyang with flowers and hearty handshakes yesterday as he arrived in the Communist nation on a surprise mission to bring home two jailed American journalists.

An extremist Shia group believed responsible for the killing of five American soldiers in a bold raid south of Baghdad and the kidnapping of five British men has agreed to renounce violence, a government adviser said Monday.

Osama bin Laden's right-hand man Ayman al-Zawahiri took aim at US President Barack Obama in a new video, accusing him of continuing to spill the blood of Muslims and saying Israel was a "crime" that must be wiped out, according to a US monitoring group.

A day after issuing a three-day "ultimatum" to the government to restore "civilian supremacy" in Nepal, the Maoists yesterday announced their months-long agitation plan that will start with a blockade of parliament on August 7.

Opposition parties walked out of the Lok Sabha yesterday on the issue of the Pakistani Supreme Court indefinitely adjourning the case against the release from house arrest of Jamaat-ud Daawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who India says masterminded the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Authorities killed rats and fleas yesterday as they disinfected a town sealed off after three people died of pneumonic plague in a remote farming town in northwestern China, according to the provincial health department.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that officers of the rank of Major, who wanted to target army generals and elements in the intelligence agencies sympathetic towards terrorists, have been arrested.

A pilot was killed and seven passengers injured yesterday when a commercial jet skidded off the runway as it landed on Thailand's resort island of Ko Samui and hit an old control tower, the airline said.

A media committee in Venezuela's parliament is set to begin Tuesday studying a draft law that, if approved, could jail anyone publishing comments that authorities consider a threat to national interests.

Arts & Entertainment

As a playwright, Abdullah Al-Mamun looked at society as a whole entity, where the poor, middle and upper class occasionally confront one another but, nevertheless, coexist. In his plays, Mamun beautifully outlined the issues of middle class with compassion, and studied the causes that haunt them everyday. His "Shenapati" is one such effort. The protagonist is an educated, multi-faceted individual from a middle class background.

Renowned singer Abida Sultana, aka Shikha to her near and dear ones, can sing in multiple languages and has performed at several major international events. Recently she took some time off from her busy schedule to have a chat with The Daily Star. Excerpts from the interview:

A documentary on the life of Language Movement martyr Shaheed Abul Barkat will be premiered this evening at Shaheed Zia Auditorium, National Museum. The documentary, titled "Bayanno'r Michhil," has been produced by MRA Taha and directed by noted actor Rokeya Prachi.

OP-ED

EVERY year over 20 million children in the developing world die from malnutrition -- the single biggest contributor to child mortality. Today, the number of undernourished people in the world is close to one billion, and nowhere is this problem bigger than in South Asia.

THE ancient Greek deity Poseidon, or his Roman analogue, Neptune, once ruled the waves with a mere trident as their only weapon. True, being gods, they were able to put it to manifold uses, including wreaking disasters like horrific earthquakes to punish those who incurred their wrath.